Editorial
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World J Crit Care Med. Feb 4, 2014; 3(1): 8-14
Published online Feb 4, 2014. doi: 10.5492/wjccm.v3.i1.8
Iatrogenic pneumothorax related to mechanical ventilation
Chien-Wei Hsu, Shu-Fen Sun
Chien-Wei Hsu, Shu-Fen Sun, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 112, Taiwan
Chien-Wei Hsu, Intensive Care Unit, Department of Medicine, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung 813, Taiwan
Shu-Fen Sun, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung 813, Taiwan
Author contributions: Hsu CW and Sun SF contributed to this paper, including designing, drafting and revising the article and giving final approval.
Correspondence to: Chien-Wei Hsu, MD, Assistant Professor, Intensive Care Unit, Department of Medicine, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, 386, Ta-Chung 1st Road, Kaohsiung 813, Taiwan. cwhsu2003@yahoo.com
Telephone: + 886-7-342121-2081 Fax: +886-7-3420243
Received: June 25, 2013
Revised: October 30, 2013
Accepted: November 18, 2013
Published online: February 4, 2014
Processing time: 236 Days and 21.2 Hours
Core Tip

Core tip: Patients with pneumothorax related to mechanical ventilation (PRMV) have a high mortality rate. PRMV often occurs in the early stage of mechanical ventilation and it may recur on the other side of lung in a short period of time. Low compliance is associated with a high incidence of PRMV, with PRMV being more related to the underlying process than the ventilatory setting. PRMV patients with tension pneumothorax, higher acute physiology and chronic health evaluation score or PaO2/FiO2 < 200 mmHg have a higher mortality.